News Library
09
SPEEDING
PROBLEM CANNOT BE IGNORED Detailed
road casualty figures published today demonstrate that speeding
is a serious problem on Britain’s roads, particularly
among young men, says the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Accidents.
Speed-related factors (exceeding the speed limit or travelling
too fast for the conditions) were reported in relation to
211 deaths of 16-25-year-old men on Britain’s roads
in 2008 – accounting for 41 per cent of road fatalities
in this group. Across all road users, speed-related factors
were cited in relation to 586 road deaths – accounting
for 25 per cent of fatalities on Britain’s roads. read
the full article on the Rospa site http://www.rospa.com/news/releases/2009/pr715_24_09_09_road.htm
Jenson Button paid a visit to Birmingham
as part of a Bridgestone roadshow, he was much sought after
by journalists and fans alike. He said "...the big
thing I notice on the roads is that people just are not aware
of their surroundings."
“For example, when I drive over here, I notice people
sitting in the outside lane. They just do not seem to be aware
of what is happening around them and that you are behind them.
I am always aware. I am sure that comes from F1 - I am always
aware of people to the left and to the right, and where they
are moving around.
“People do need to be aware of what is going on around
them. And they need to be thinking about driving. If their
minds wander, that can be dangerous. When I am driving, I
am concentrating. You are driving for that reason –
to drive. If you get distracted and if you have an impact,
it could be massive.” read more of what he said
http://www.rospa.com/news/features/jenson_button.htm
NEWS
FLASH August,
a typically quiet month has been extremenly busy. We have
had office staff making deliveries, as well as every courier
we could get hold of to supplement our own drivers. With increase
business from Europe, and the run up to Christmas already
starting, we are now in a position where some vehicles are
booked up on contract as far ahead as April 2010. I must apologise
to everyone who has had difficulty getting through on the
phones, unfortunately this position will continue as clients
strive to get orders delivered before the month end. We managed
to merge two other courier firms into the RFT Express family,
and with so many companies going under, we have struggled
at times to keep up with the extra demand. Three new vehicles
are on order which should help. Thank you for your continued
support. Vic Farron.
Enhanced
motorcycle training A
new online campaign has been launched to highlight the benefits
of further motorcycle training. As well as developing their
skills and reducing their risk of being involved in an accident,
every rider who completes the Enhanced Rider Scheme (ERS)
could be in line for an insurance discount. The Driving Standards
Agency (DSA) has set up a dedicated microsite and is using
popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube to promote the benefits of the ERS.
read
more from Direct Gov
The
Pound Up, Markets Up The
world stock markets are moving upwards, suggesting they think
the worst of the recession is over.
Both UK and US manufacturing have risen and the pound reached
almost $1.7, and against the Euro 84.5p. The optimism these
figures portray is that the world in general is now coming
out or recession, and will continue to do so. The fear of
immediately dipping into another recession has not been lifted,
but investors and analysts are in a more buoyant mood.
04/08/09
General Motors receives
three bids for Opel/Vauxhall
According
to the BBC, General Motors has received three final bids for
its struggling Opel business, which includes Vauxhall in the
UK. Canadian car parts maker Magna, Belgian-based investor
RHJ International and China's Beijing Automotive Industries
are the bidders.read
more from BBC News
Funded
SAFED training still available
There
are still part-funded places available on the Safe and Fuel
Efficient Driving (SAFED) scheme. The scheme was originally
launched in 2006 and has proved immensely popular with over
7,500 drivers having been trained to date. This, along with
excellent overall results in achieving safer & greener
driving, led to the DfT committing a further £1.2 million
in September 2007, to train more van drivers.There are over
2.5 million registered vans in the UK all with at least one
driver. Using an average annual mileage figure of 24,067,
clocked up by the participants of the scheme in 2006, the
full potential if all van drivers adopted SAFED for Vans could
be: read
more from RoSPA
RoSPA have created
Driver Profiler 2. RoSPA
have produced a second online assessment takes around 20 minutes
to complete and consists of two sections, firstly identifying
information personal to the driver such as accident history,
mileage and they type of driving they do. The second section
consists of a series of 98 statements* regarding driving attitudes
whereby employees have to decide the extent that each statement
applies to them..read
more from RoSPA
Nissan
to create hundreds of jobs
Nissan
has announced that its Wearside factory will start producing
batteries for electric cars, which is expected to create 350
new jobs.Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that Nissan's £200m
investment "was great news for the local economy"
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson also welcomed the Nissan
£200m investment.read
more
Green
light given on eco-town sites
Housing
Minister John Healey today announced the four sites that have
passed the government's tough standards to go through to the
next planning phase, full public consultation and local planning
approval.
read
more
International
Financial Reporting Standard
The
International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued today
an International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) designed
for use by small and medium-sized entities (SMEs), which are
estimated to represent more than 95 per cent of all companies*.
The standard is a result of a five-year development process
with extensive consultation of SMEs worldwide.
read
more from IASB
Seatbelt
and illegal number plate fines rise
Drivers
caught without a seatbelt or using illegal number plates face
bigger fines. Fixed penalty notices for failing to wear a
seatbelt or putting illegal plates on a vehicle have increased
to £60, up from £30 at present.
read
more from Directgov news room
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